Category: Capitol Updates

Mental health services could be impacted by Medicaid expansion alternative, leadership change (Capitol Update)

In the run-up to the Legislative session beginning this week, two things happened that could affect mental health services for thousands of Oklahomans. [More...]

The Weekly Wonk: 2020 focus areas, Medicaid expansion, COLA, and more

During comments in Washington D.C. on Thursday, Gov. Stitt laid out the tenets for his health care plan to counter Medicaid expansion efforts. The plan includes elements that will inevitably draw lawsuits from health care organizations and advocates who fight to protect the rights and coverage of low-income residents. [More...]

Proposed bill would address needed alternatives to school suspensions (Capitol Update)

Most educators will tell you suspension doesn't work for the children. They act out, get suspended then return to school, behind in their work and either embarrassed or pleased by their suspension. Often nothing is offered to the child during suspension but days off from school. Suspension becomes a feeder for the criminal justice system. [More...]

It’s time to re-examine the Youthful Offender Act (Capitol Update)

The Office of Juvenile Affairs leadership has announced plans to push through amendments to Youthful Offender Act (YOA) in the upcoming session. [More...]

Harsh sentences aren’t always required to achieve justice (Capitol Update)

When they want to, prosecutors will agree that a harsh sentence is not always necessary to achieve justice. The goal of criminal justice reform is to get them to want to more often. [More...]

Flat state budget ahead? It’s not that simple. (Capitol Update)

Last month, the Oklahoma State Board of Equalization held its first meeting for the purpose of certifying how much money the legislature will have to appropriate for the budget year beginning July 1, 2020, when it convenes in February. The current economy on the current tax rates has produced what amounts to a level budget going forward next year. But with state finance it is never that simple. [More...]

Where is the focus on sentencing reform? (Capitol Update)

Instead of a determined effort to fulfill its charge of classifying felonies with an eye toward reducing the prison population, the Council spent the year discussing improvements that should be made everywhere except in court. [More...]

Lawmakers need truthful, complete information to make agency appropriation decisions (Capitol Update)

There's an interesting dynamic emerging between the governor and the legislature regarding next year's budget. Usually state agencies are free to make budget requests based, within realistic limits, on what they feel is needed to accomplish their duties and, if funds are available, to increase services. In preparation for the session, agencies appear before the appropriations committees to explain and justify their budget requests. Depending on available revenue, the legislature will decide which, if any, programs deserve either cuts or additional funding. This is done with input from the governor and his staff because, at the end of the day, the governor has the right to sign or veto the appropriations measures. [More...]

Much work remains for criminal justice reform (Capitol Update)

With the recent widely publicized sentence commutations, one might have the impression that the work of criminal justice reform is done. To the contrary, these commutations only serve to emphasize how much progress can be made with passage of just one reform proposal. But even after the commutations, Oklahoma is still near the top of the world in incarceration. [More...]

A look at redistricting in Oklahoma (Capitol Update)

Recently, an initiative petition to create an independent, bipartisan redistricting commission to redraw legislative and congressional districts in Oklahoma was filed by a group called "People Not Politicians." [More...]